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Sailboat vs Bug out Retreat

05-11-2019, 12:33 AM

Newbie here...Thoughts on bugging out on a sailboat /catamaran vs bugout retreat...Advantages/disadvantages of a sailboat...And if having a land based bugout location is the better option, which state would be highly recommended...Here in Central AZ, it’s hot, water might be hard to come by and nuclear reactor about 100 miles away...Thank you

Well with a sailboat you limit your self on where you can go. IE distance to be traveled compared to the supplies on hand including water, food, machine parts (Because any machine will break down).
If you are well out to sea where do you get those supplies?

On land yes there is a lot of people who want the same supplies you do. But there is plenty of places to go. Plus you are not limited on supplies you keep. IF you have your own retreat you are not limited on how much you have unlike a sailboat which has limited storage.

My vote is a well built retreat at least 15-20 miles from a major road system/town.

Comment

A day or weekend sailing cruiser may get you down the coast or out to an island refuge, but capacity and range are restricted. Think small RV. Longer voyages are for the truly dedicated or utterly desperate.

Considering how loaded you're likely to be, think 'life-boat' and make sure the craft will still float if swamped, can be readily righted from a capsize without losing the contents. Your flotation tanks may also serve as 'light storage'...

Some years ago, I did a lot of research for a stalled post-apocalyptic tale which, incidentally, featured an extended family fleeing 'Hot Flu' in a catamaran. Many victims developed 'Psychotic Encephalitis' / 'Encephalitic Psychosis', ran amok. If not trad 'zombies', definitely PCP-crazed. Be NOT there...

Upside, a cat's 'cabin bridge' may provide a lot of capacity for storage and accommodation, essential when every inch must be packed with stores, have people hot-bunking on the heaps. Also, the correct choice of Cat may take the ground nicely, sit level without a fuss. And, hove-to or making steerage way, there's convenient fishing, plus potentially sufficient rain-capture area to extend duration. Um, you are packing LOTS of fishing gear ? And you're wary of 'red tide' toxins ??

Cats may also deploy sufficient sail area to reach, close-haul or run with a big spinnaker fast enough to elude much trouble. If necessary, have enough diesel reserved for several hours of 'motor-sailing' to be sure, to be sure...

Downside is rough-weather tolerance. A Cat is generally more stable than a mono-hull but, in extremis, very, very difficult to recover from a knock-down. Also, give some thought to non-Bermudan sail plans, as a soaring alloy mast is not easily repaired or replaced.

In my planned sequel to 'P for Pleistocene' (*), 'The Lady May' is a family's chartered Vagabond 52 ketch. It's not intended as a 'bug-out' boat, but the Aussie couple who provide the professional crew have a lot of experience, made fair-dinkum provision for many dire blue-water contingencies...

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(*) Several chapters of 'PfP' plus several more of my shorter tales are posted in the Misc/fun area, may amuse...